Noteworthy comment by JonnyJames:

Always interesting to discuss foreign policy and geostrategy. Here’s my two cents (twenty bucks, adjusted for inflation)

The US was never the “global policeman”, that’s a bit of a puerile euphemism; it has been the global hegemon since 1945. The term “nation building” is also a euphemism. The US is not noted for building anything, just destroying, regime changing, and mass murdering. (But the US empire is the offspring of the British Empire in many ways and the British were also bloody, pun intended)

The unipolar empire can no longer maintain its legions across the globe. The classic Rise and Fall of the Great Powers (Paul Kennedy) comes to mind. Imperial overstretch. Michael Hudson’s classic, Super Imperialism is also a great source that explains financial hegemony. The US enjoyed special privileges as being the only major power not destroyed by WWII, and the “splendid isolation” it enjoyed geographically.

The rogue empire violates its own laws, simply ignores the facts that the occupations of Syria, Iraq, shipping weapons to Israel, Ukraine, imposing unilateral siege warfare on Venezuela, Cuba, Iran, etc. is illegal.

I would also add that the TRILLIONS of dollars that have been transferred from public coffers into private hands just since 2001, and is a huge motivation for imperial occupations, wars, etc. Trillions is not chump-change, and provides a huge incentive for imperial hubris. It seems the two go hand-in-hand. The institutional corruption of the US in general, and Congress in particular means that financial incentives, not only geostrategic factors, determine US foreign policy, Israel policy included. The short-sighted greed, hubris and corruption will be the downfall of the US and will have catastrophic consequences for denizens of the “homeland”. If we all survive, that is. A desperate and declining empire is doing very dangerous and reckless acts, it is good that China and Russia are more grounded and “cool headed” or we would all be vaporized by now.

However, what is not mentioned: blocking Belt and Road, control of pipelines, and blocking Chinese and Russian influence in the ME and Central Asia region appears to be a big factor. Some say that US foreign policy is dictated by Israel and The Lobby, but that is too simplistic.

As Zbig B outlined in The Grand Chessboard (1998), the US must maintain hegemony by the “Pivot to Asia” aka containing China ( I think he coined that term), prying Ukraine from Russia, and maintaining influence/control over global energy flows. Zbig’s geostrategic goals were largely pursued by the US, but the tactics were not what he would have liked.

Zbig was from the so-called Realist school of IR (as was Henry K.) and differed with the so-called neoconservatives on tactics. The long term goal of maintaining hegemony is shared by most of the foreign policy establishment. (NSC, CFR, Atlantic Council, CIA etc.)

The US military can’t meet recruitment goals due to the poor physical/mental health of young people in the US, as well as the skyrocketing obesity rates among even young people.

The US National Defense Strategy puts China as the biggest “threat”. This assessement, despite the cheap rhetoric, was shared by the BO, DT, and JB regimes.

If/when DT becomes POTUS again, the focus will be on China and not Russia. I believe it was Zbig. B. who coined the term “pivot to Asia” and the last desperate attempt of the US empire to “contain China” will end in failure. As the article points out, US naval power is declining. Ever since “Britannia Ruled the Waves” global dominance hinged on dominance of the seas. But that was before Belt and Road.

As far as “control” of the ME: My crude prediction is that if KSA or any OPEC members refuse to accept USD for petro products, we can expect a major military backlash from the US. As we know, financial imperialism is the core of US power.